Collapsible waste receptacle



P. DEMAS July 4, 1967 COLLAPS IBLE WASTE RECEPTACLE Filed Sept. 23, 1966 INVENTOR ATTORNEY United States Patent 3,329,298 COLLAISIBLE WASTE RECEPTACLE Perry Demas, 4210 NE. th Ave, Fort Lauderdale, Fla. 33308 Filed Sept. 23, 1966, Ser. No. 581,522 8 Claims. (Cl. 220-8) This invention relates to a collapsible waste receptacle or container, and has for an object to provide an improved container which can be telescoped or collapsed into a small amount of space, and then may be readily extended to its maximum size.

A further object of this invention is to provide a collapsible container which may be extended for use as a waste basket or receptacle, or for use as a shipping container, or for any other suitable container use, and which in collapsed condition, may be stored or shipped in a minimum of space, and when desired for container use, may be readily extended to operative position.

A further object of this invention is to provide a collapsible container which may be made in any desirable size, and which includes a bottom closure affixed thereto and a top cover which may be removably used therewith.

A further object of this invention is to provide a collapsible container which is readily storable or shippable in in minimum, collapsed size, and is readily extendable to usable condition.

In brief, this collapsible container or telescopic waste basket or receptacle consists of a plurality of annular bands of progressively increasing size made of substantially rigid but slightly flexible material, such as a suitable plastic or the like, with a bottom closure member secured to the lowermost, smallest band, this closure member extending in a flange outside the band to provide a base, a cover receiving outwardly extending rirn at the top edge of the outermost, topmost band, the top band also having hinged handles secured thereto at 180 degrees apart. Each band, except the top band, is provided on its outer surface with a plurality of spaced apart beads, spaced preferably at 120 degrees, adjacent to but some what spaced from its top edge, the circumference about the beads of each band being somewhat larger than the internal bottom circumference of the larger sized band but the material of the band being sulficiently flexible to permit the larger band to pass thereover under pressure in either direction, so that when the larger band is extended above the smaller band, the beads act as supporting ridges.

Flexible straps secured at one end to each band except the largest in the area of its outside surface mid line and to the outside surface of the next larger band, act as extension limiting means to prevent the bands from complete separation, so that the bands may support themselves on the projecting ridges provided by the beads, and then the bands are collapsed or telescoped over each other, the same flexible straps limiting the telescoped larger bands from telescoping below the smaller bands. The straps and beads are spaced equally about the circumference, alternating with each other, preferably equally at 120 degrees between the straps and between the beads.

A lid or cover, with a handle on its top, has a depending flange which may be extended down over the top band outwardly extending rim, and in view of the material, may be sized to snap fit thereover, yet be readily separable when pulled up by its handle.

The top band is also provided with a pair of container handles, spaced apart at 180 degrees. It may be made in any suitable size, with any suitable number of bands, depending on the use for which it is intended. As a waste basket or receptacle, with four bands as illustrated, each band may be six and three-eighths inches in height, with a total overall height of about twenty-four inches from base to cover, and about seventeen inches inside diameter at the base, the beads being located three-eighths inch below the top edge of the bands. The straps are about five inches long. Other sizes for the same or other uses may be made as desired.

With the above and related objects in vew, this invention consists in the details of construction and combination of parts, as will be more fully understood from the following description, when read in conjunction with the accompanying drawing, in which:

FIG. 1 is a side elevational view of the collapsible container in extended position, the cover being shown thereabove.

FIG. 2 is a side elevational view in collapsed or telescoped position.

FIG. 3 is a sectional view on line 3-3 of FIG. 1.

FIG. 4 is a composite sectional view, on an enlarged scale, partly through a bead and partly through a connecting strap, of two adjacent bands.

There is shown at 10 the collapsible container or waste basket or receptacle of this invention. The container 10, as shown, may be made of a suitable rigid, yet lightly flexible, plastic material, and includes a bottommost annular band 12, one or more intermediate annular bands 14 and topmost band 16. Each band, from the bottom toward the top, is progressively larger in size, so that they be telescoped to the position shown in FIG. 2, or extended into operative, container providing position shown in FIG. 1.

The annular bands 12, 14 and 16 may be cylindrical, or may preferably be frusto-conical as shown. The bottom band 12 is provided with a bottom closure member extending in a flange 18 thereabout at its lower edge providing a stabilizing base for the container 10, the diameter of the base flange 18 being preferably at least as large as the diameter of the top band 16.

The top band 16 has a pair of pivoted rectangular handles 20 spaced 180 degrees apartrthe top band 16 also has an outwardly and downwardly extending rim 22 over which may be snap fitted the downwardly extending flange 24 of a cover member 26 provided at its top center with a handle 28.

The bottom band 12 and each intermediate band 14 is provided with a plurality of spaced apart beads 30, preferably three in number and spaced apart equally at degrees. The beads are located adjacent to but spaced from the top edges of the bands 12 and 14, for example, about three-eighths inch below their top edges, and project outwardly a distance almost equal to the thickness of the bands. Thus, the outer circumference about the beads 30 is somewhat greater than the inner bottom circumference of the next upper band. The beads 30 are rounded, as shown at 32, and the lower inner edges of the intermediate and top bands 14 and 16 are similarly rounded as shown at 34. The band material being somewhat flexible, the intermediate and upper bands 14 and 16 may be moved over the beads 30 in either direction under pressure.

Flexible straps'36, equally spaced 120 degrees about each bottom and intermediate band 12 and 14, are secured thereabout at about a mid line area at one end, at 38, and at their other end, are secured to the next upper intermediate and top bands 14 and 16 adjacent their lower edges as shown at 40. As thus secured, the flexible straps 36 limit the separation of the bands in either direction.

In the extended position, the ridges provided by the beads 30 support the upper band thereon while the straps 36 prevent the adjacent bands from completely separating as shown in FIG. 4. In the telescoped or collapsed position, the rounded edges 34 permit the upper band to more readily compress the next lower band and rides there over to the position shown at 16', and the band is supported by the strap at 36', in addition to the fact that the beads 30 exert frictional contact on the inner sides when the bands are cylindrical or lighter frictional contact when they are frusto-conical as shown, to hold the bands together in telescoped or collapsed position.

In operation, to extend the collapsed container from the position shown in FIG. 2, one places ones feet on the base flange 18 and pulls up on the handles 22, causing the bands to ride up over the ridges provided by the beads 30 to the supporting position thereon shown in FIGS. 2 and 4. To collapse or telescope the container 10 when in the extended position shown in FIG. 1, one presses down on the top edge of upper band 16, causing the rounded edge 34 to ride down over the rounded edge 32 of the beads 30 to the position shown in FIG. 2. In both operations, the cover 26 shown may be left off to prevent causing resisting vacuum or air pressure therewithin.

In the drawings, like numbers refer to like parts, and for the purposes of explication, set forth below are the numbered parts of the improved collapsible waste receptacle:

Although this invention has been described in considerable detail, such description is intended as being illustrative rather than limiting, since the invention may be variously embodied, and the scope of the invention is to be determined as claimed.

Having thus set forth and disclosed the nature of this invention, what is claimed is:

1. A collapsible container comprising a plurality of telescopic bands of progressing increasing size, flexible means secured at one end to each band except the largest at a plurality of points thereabout, such points being 5 located at substantially not lower than a mid line thereabout, each said flexible means being secured at its other end to the outside of the next progressively larger band limiting the telescopic separation of said bands thereof to less than complete separation in either direction, and outwardly projecting means adjacent but below the top edge of each band except the largest for supporting the next larger band when in extended position, said bands being of sufficiently flexible material permitting each band to compress sufliciently to permit its next larger band to pass over its outwardly extending supporting projecting means in either direction under pressure, and a container bottom wall secured to the smallest band.

2. The container of claim 1, and an outwardly downwardly extending top rim or flange on said largest band, and a container cover extendable down over said rim flange.

3. The container of claim 1, said flexible secured means comprising a plurality of flexible straps spaced about said bands.

4. The container of claim 1, said outwardly projecting means comprising a plurality of beads spaced about said bands.

5. The container of claim 1, said flexible secured means comprising a plurality of flexible straps equally spaced about said bands, said outwardly projecting means comprising a plurality of beads equally spaced about said bands between said plurality of straps, said beads providing supporting ridges for each progressively larger band when in extended position.

6. The container of claim 5, there being at least three straps and at least three band supporting beads spaced substantially one hundred twenty degrees about its beads, said straps and beads alternating thereabout.

7. The container of claim 5, said container bottom wall having a container stabilizing flange extending outward of said smallest band to which it is secured.

8. The container of claim 7, and hinged handle members pivotally secured to said largest band spaced one hundred eighty degrees apart.

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,834,502 5/1958 Trojan 220--8 2,893,167 7/1959 Davidson 4737 FOREIGN PATENTS 726,991 9/ 1942 Germany.

G. E. LOWRANCE, Assistant Examiner. 

1. A COLLAPSIBLE CONTAINER COMPRISING A PLURALITY OF TELESCOPIC BANDS OF PROGRESSING INCREASING SIZE, FLEXIBLE MEANS SECURED AT ONE END TO EACH BAND EXCEPT THE LARGEST AT A PLURALITY OF POINTS THEREABOUT, SUCH POINTS BEING LOCATED AT SUBSTANTIALLY NOT LOWER THAN A MILD LINE THEREABOUT, EACH SAID FLEXIBLE MEANS BEING SECURED AT ITS OTHER END TO THE OUTSIDE OF THE NEXT PROGRESSIVELY LARGER BAND LIMITING THE TELESCOPIC SEPARATION OF SAID BANDS THEREOF TO LESS THAN COMPLETE SEPARATION IN EITHER DIRECTION, AND OUTWARDLY PROJECTING MEANS ADJACENT BUT BELOW THE TOP EDGE OF EACH BAND EXCEPT THE LARGEST FOR SUPPORTING THE NEXT LARGER BAND WHEN IN EXTENDED POSITION, SAID BANDS BEING OF SUFFICIENTLY FLEXIBLE MATERIAL PERMITTING EACH BAND TO COMPRESS SUFFICIENTLY TO PERMIT ITS NEXT LARGER BAND TO PASS OVER ITS OUTWARDLY EXTENDING SUPPORTING PROJECTING MEANS IN EITHER DIRECTION UNDER PRESSURE, AND A CONTAINER BOTTOM WALL SECURED TO THE SMALLEST BAND. 